La Tosca Gelateria, the scoop.

I have discovered that all germans are called either Duncan or Peter. Try it out, introduce yourself with the word "Duncan!" and I guarantee whoever you are with will be called Peter.

strange...but strange nonetheless.

It has been a while, but the rain has stopped and I can finally make it to shore to type another blog. Hopefully the wind is with me.

It has been interesting seeing all the press about the Olympic flame. Not just the controversial side blah blah blah, but the ecological footprint of the flame itself.

The UK last year banned those vertical outdoor gas heaters from bars and restaurants because of the cost to the environment (and to make smokers smoke more in the cold to keep themselves warm) and yet the govt is happy to run a never-exstinguished gas torch from John O'Groats to Lands End...or round the North Circular (I get those mixed up). If this flame has been burning since the first olympics in...erm...Olympia...it must have quite a quarterly bill...maybe it itself is aiding global warming...or the loungely warming of the chairman of the olympic committee..."If it must be kept burning - why can I not dry my socks with it?"

I am also confused how it makes it from country to country. If you have ever tried to take a cigarette lighter or box of matches onto Ryanair you will appreciate this quandry. However cheap the ticket I think I would draw the line at sitting next to a sweaty bloke who has just run 26 miles, and is carrying a gas torch more at home in a hot air balloon.

Getting past him to go to the toilet would be hard enough, but imagine if he nods off with his head on your shoulder...

Perhaps in fact, that is how it should be proccessed in the future...by hot air balloon. Richard Branson is your man for this task - he's done it before....he'll do it again.

And finally, next week we are off to watch a german Elvis impersonator in concert in Tuscany, singing in English. He can barely speak english so this will be an experience.

His name is Jonny.

oh bugger.